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Review: Debug (2014)

Debug is the 2014 Sci-Fi/Thriller big screen debut from writer/director David Hewlett (better known for his sci-fi acting roles such as Stargate & Rise of The Planet of the Apes) and stars Adrian Holmes, Jeananne Goossen and Jason Momoa.

The story resolves around a team of criminal computer hackers that have been sent into space by the Department of Corrections to help salvage old ships by over-riding their computer systems. This seems like an easy job; until they come across an abandoned prison ship. As they interact with the various virtual elements of the ship’s system they soon realise it is fighting back in a very real and physical way as it turns the team on each other.

This is hardly new territory in sci-fi (i.e. the Alien franchise starts with a similar premise and there is of course Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Oddyssey) however the hacker angle does provide a fresh and interesting new take on this. All that said I feel the film is well executed but did not particularly stand out for me. Jason Momoa’s performance is ominous and unnervingly evil as the ships AI Iam.

The film is shot largely CCTV style as well as through computer screens and the heads-up displays the team uses to add to the claustrophobic feel of the film. The production design is fresh and modern while at the same time bleak and depressing to reflect the mood.

Debug is distributed by Signature Entertainment in the UK and will be released on Blu-Ray & DVD on 3rd November 2014. Pre-order available now.